BUSINESS: 532 PRACTICES
Founded in 1998, HELLENiQ ENERGY (https://www.helleniqenergy.gr/en) is one of the leading energy groups in South East Europe, with presence in 6 countries and activities spanning across the energy value chain, namely: oil refining and fuel marketing, exploration and production, renewable energy sources, petrochemicals, power and gas.
The main objective of the initiative is to educate children and raise awareness of the Agenda 2030, as well as to create ambassadors for the dissemination of the SDGs.
The educational suitcase GAIA 2030 brings the SDGs to the level of children’s everyday life. It is an interactive learning tool and can be used alongside the existing school curriculum, as the topics it deals with are relevant.
The main objective is educating the younger generation, the effective shaping of moral consciousness and the development of their critical thinking in order to take action on the SDGs. By interacting with SDGs-related concepts, they can engage in different activities and identify their own responsibility to contribute to a common vision for the Earth of 2030.
GAIA 2030 educational material breaks down and presents the SDGs through activities for all ages. Depending on the curriculum of each class and the maturity of each age, the Goals can be assigned to different grades of Primary and Secondary School.
The initiative launched in May 2019.
The suitcase contains 17 round pages that when properly positioned, create a globe, a three-dimensional book.
One side of each page presents the Goal in full color illustrations (Goal Page) and the other side proposes an activity for the students that is linked to the Goal (Action Page). Each Goals is “conceptually” introduced by a unique verb, which states the central meaning of each Goal, and each verb initiates discussion, which can be guided and enriched with the accompanying material (illustration of each Goal, instruction booklets for the teacher, suggested activities, accompanying items).
Instruction booklets
The booklets are addressed to the teacher and provide basic guidelines on how the material can be used in the classroom. More specifically, every booklet is structured as follows:
-UNs definition of each SDG is presented
-The verb introducing the Goal is presented
-Other SDGS that each Goal can be linked with are listed, as some issues are raised by more than one SDGs.
-The content of the Goal Page is analyzed and suggestions for matters to be discussed and researched are given.
-The content of the Action Page is analyzed and instructions are given on how to better organize the activity.
-The accompanying to the activity item is presented as well as guidelines on how to use it.
- External links (to be used with QR codes) and alternative activities suggestions are presented.
Accompanying items
Each Goal is connected to a special object (rope, seeds, miniature photovoltaic panel, price tags, energy saving light bulb, clothespin, measuring tape etc.), which is either supplementary or necessary for the proposed activities to be carried out. All accompanying items are placed in the transparent box / base of the GAIA 2030 interactive book. The instruction booklet for each Goal contains suggestions on how to use the accompanying items.
On the beginning of the new academic year, the suitcase will travel to all schools the environmental education program "Energy for Life Travels" will visit (Group’s CSR initiative implemented in collaboration with AMKE AGONI GRAMMI GONIMI) and to any schools that will request to host it. Teachers interested in working with the book will be able to submit their request via an online platform ensuring the availability of the suitcase. On the platform, there will also be videos with visualized guidelines for the game.
Building awareness of a sustainable world starts from childhood, so this educational suitcase was created to shape future citizens who will respect their fellow human beings, create value for society and protect the environment in which they live. The educational suitcase will soon be available to visit whichever school is interested in hosting it.
The suitcase’s maiden voyage took place in May 2019 in Brussels, where, with the help of students from the 4th Arta High School (winners of a contest organized by HELPE for the dissemination of the SDGs), it was presented at the European School and the Kestekidio Hellenic School, and the feedback from students and teachers was very positive.
During the trip to Brussels, the interactive game GAIA 2030 was also presented to the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship as well as to the UN Regional Information Officer for Greece and Cyprus, who was also one of the judges in the school contest for the dissemination of the SDGs.
Greek-speaking schools inside and outside Greece.
GAIA 2030 educational suitcase is a HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group initiative, implemented under the auspices of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, with the support of the United Nations Regional Information Center (UNRIC) and in cooperation with AMKE AGONI GRAMMI GONIMI. Research, design and development of the educational material was performed by the artist and architect Hara Marantidou (mulo creative lab).
Employees of the CSR Division contributed to the research, design and implementation of the educational material.
The HELLENIC PETROLEUM Group, as a member of the United Nations Global Compact and recognizing the importance of the 2030 Agenda, ensures that its activities are fully aligned with this initiative to address sustainable development challenges and is actively participating in targeted actions for the SDGs diffusion and implementation.
For 2018, the Group undertook initiatives for all 17 SDGs that can be linked with 52% of the targets, showing an improvement of 13% compared to 2017. Specifically, SDG #4 for Quality Education is one of the Group's priorities and is directly linked to its activities, which are especially focused on initiatives for the younger generation, incorporating all 10 of its targets (100% integration in 2017 and 2018).
This activity does not have measurable quantitative benefits for the Group per se. However, it does fall under the framework of one of the main objectives of the Group, which is firstly to support the younger generations and the academic community, providing opportunities for broadening knowledge, but also to promote the two-way and circular relationship established between the academic community and the business world.
Moreover, this is an initiative with multiplier effects since wherever the suitcase will travel, will create ambassadors of the SDGs that will continue spreading the word generating a ripple effect in their respective communities.
